SoulmatesShared Abilities
by WrittenWish
Summary: Soulmates can find each other in many different ways and people can have more than one soulmate because relationships don't have to be romantic. Ace eats the Mera Mera no Mi and Sabo becomes fire, both their flames revealing the pull of a metaphorical red thread that connects to their hearts of their other half. ASL Reunion.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

When Sabo left them it was by far the most painful thing that Ace ever had to deal with. From the moment the bastard noble stole his brother away from them, the phantom pains caused from the absence of his presence, (_of_ _Sabo)_, had left his heart bleeding with an open wound that became unmendable the moment Dogra announced him dead, (_gone)_. Ace did his best to keep Sabo in their lives though, through their memories of him and by honoring Sabo's wishes and to live on for him. Almost seven years later, with Sabo's Pirate flag proudly tattooed on his arm, Ace set sail after celebrating Sabo's seventeenth birthday with Luffy only for it to be the seas that they all loved to answer his deepest desired wish in the form of a shipwreck and treasured fruit of the sea.

Ace stared into his flames of his Hotarubi, the small fireballs all pulling towards one direction and as Shanks explained probably towards his soulmate. He wasn't sure what to think about that, Sabo had explained that his soulmate would be like his other half, a piece of himself, but he had already met his other half. To him Sabo was his other half and together with Luffy the three of them were already connected by the strongest bonds of all _so why are you pointing west. _It would be better for them to be pointing east towards Luffy cause then it would make some sense, Luffy had dreams for all his soulmates before he meets them, he already knew what Ace and Sabo looked like before he met them and it wasn't until Sabo explained the concept of soulmates that they realized why Luffy dreamed of people that he couldn't possibly think up himself. Which definitely helped to explain how Luffy knew a word like archaeologist even if he still messed up on the pronunciation from time to time, and it was comforting to know that Luffy's crew would all be his soulmates if Sabo was right, _Sabo's always right._ His hotarubi shifted in brightness reacting to something, _someone else_, so he tried saying hello back, _because he could feel that that's what it was, a curious "Hello? Are you there?" and not the first time either, _and just like every other time that he's answered them a familiar warmth fills him along with the happy reply of giggling joy and desire to meet. _He feels so much like him, _Ace gently runs his hand over Sabo's mark and whispers to himself "Could it really be possible that it is?"

Could Dogra have been wrong? Could he have survived by some miracle? Ever since he ate the Mera Mera no Mi, he's been feeling this tug towards a warmth so familiar and comforting that he's almost afraid to believe in it, because if he does and if he does follow the pull and it's not him. He couldn't bear to live on through a second heartbreak like that, he couldn't go through that again.

"Could what be possible yoi?" The first commander of the pirates that have been his kidnappers for the last two days, four if you count the days he'd been unconscious, approach him and leaned next to him on the railings that he's been sitting on.

"That's none of your business." Ace coldly replied, in contrast his gaze softened as he turned his attention back to his excited hotarubi lights, he didn't know what just happened on his soulmate's side of things but he was obviously overjoyed about something.

"Well whatever it is, it definitely seems important to you so don't go giving up just yet brat."

"_Oi!_" Ace growled back about to resort back with his own string of curses and insults but Marco cut him off.

"The seas are a wonderfully strange and mysterious place, even more so on the Grand Line. I've seen plenty of amazing things that people wouldn't normally consider possible, and I've met some extraordinary characters free from any logic that may try to tie them down and created miracles out of what seemed to be unbeatable odds. So whatever it is that you can't seem to believe in, I suggest giving it a chance at the very least." And with that Marco walked off with a see you later, and a good night "kid," which had Ace puffing up in agitation but sighing in defeat when the Whitebeard pirate was out of sight. He turned back towards the lights of his hotarubi dancing joyfully and excited underneath the moon like they were playing with the stars and twirling on the ocean's surface. _If he could I bet Sabo would play on the water the same way he would when we played on ice. _The way his hotarubi moved reminded him of the first winter he and Sabo spent together, where Sabo discovered that one of the lakes had frozen over was thick enough to carry a tiger's weight, which is what had chased him there in the first place. Once the tiger was gone he dragged Ace over to ice skate with him like he had read about. He remembers being mad that Sabo's plan hadn't been to fish like he originally thought when Sabo said lake, but Sabo had managed to convince him to take a break and just play with him for a little while before they absolutely had to go hunt for meat, and later on they took Luffy there to teach him how to skate. He remembers being mesmerized by a lot of the things Sabo had taught him how to do, and he doubts that he would have ever played games like that as a kid if it hadn't been for Sabo, hell he probably would have killed Luffy if it hadn't been for Sabo teaching him how to feel.

'_Ya'know what Ace, one day Luffy and I are going to get you to realize that your heart has always been this kind and big! One day I'll get to see that and then you'll have to believe in yourself, because Luffy and I love you and I bet we'll meet all kinds of people on the Grand Line that will love you too and they won't care who you're related to because they'll love you because you're you! I know that one day we'll find the perfect namaka to be on our crews and yours will have namaka that tell you that everyday and will fight with you always!' _Sabo's voice from that night and the night they first played together echoed in his head. '_Come on Ace! At least give it a chance!' _As Sabo's outstretched hands and grinning face faded away into the twinkling twirling lights reflecting in the ocean Ace repeated to himself, "'A chance' huh…" A chance for Sabo to be alive, and waiting somewhere across the seas to meet again like he promised in his letter. _Okay,_ Ace decided that he didn't want to regret not taking a chance and sent out the feeling across his flames _I wanna see you, I want to be able to talk to you face to face, I need to know who you are. _The instant reply he got was unexpected but he couldn't help the sudden burst of hope that filled him.

"_Soon, I'll see you soon. I'll be there soon…" _The excitement that came with it was contagious and Ace found that he couldn't stop his smile from spreading nor the chuckle that interrupted the calm of the night.

—

Sabo wasn't sure what to think when he suddenly burst into flames one day without warning and was more surprised that he hadn't had a bigger reaction to it past _oh, it's warm,_ not that panicking like Koala and Hack did would have been better but it definitely would have made more sense.

Instead he enjoyed the warmth that filled him and giggled at the sudden thrill of excitement that made him want to go West and continue on with the meetings like he wasn't still on fire and craving Ramen. Later on he had talked with Dragon, and he found out that it was a devil fruit power and that he was fire now but was told not to use it until they could figure out what happened because both Koala and Hack agreed with him that there was absolutely no way that he had recently. So the issue was put on hold until a few weeks later a sighting of a devil fruit user who had eaten the Mera Mera no Mi was spotted by one of their agents in Paradise that Dragon was able to tell Sabo that he had a real answer: Sabo had a soulmate.

Sabo already knew about soulmates because he was Koala's but she wasn't his, it was a one sided thing and Dragon had explained to them that Sabo most likely already met his soulmate or had more than one, and that it was possible that his amnesia could be cured through meeting them again. Sabo rejected the idea of going back because his gut told him that it would only lead them all into danger. He didn't know what was so life threatening back on Dawn island but he knew that it was safe so long as he wasn't there. So he accepted that the only thing to do for them was to get stronger and to wait for them out on the seas, though he didn't know what exactly he was waiting for, only that they were worth everything.

Koala had been upset to learn that even if Sabo were cured his amnesia, it was more likely that her Soulmark would be one sided because it appeared when she met him and not before. Sabo apologized for making her sad but he made sure that she knew he wouldn't pretend to return her feelings because whatever she feels is different than what he feels. She agreed that she wouldn't force any unwanted relationships and over time they became friends.

Now though, Sabo sat on the balcony railings by his father figure looking out towards the East while watching the little floating lights that, according to reports, his soulmate calls hotarubi. He had been worried that for the last few days because one of their agents had confirmed that Fire Fist been captured by the Whitebeard Pirates. He and his soulmate "spoke" through their connection through their flames, it was really just sending their feelings and they usually used it to send things like "_Adventure! Fun! Yay! Fight! Play!" _or "_Food!"_ or "_Confused? Why?"_ Sometimes if one of them were hurt the other would feel it, like Fire Fist's most recent fight, he was tired and in a lot of pain, Sabo instantly called out to him once he won his fight, asking him "_Are you safe? What happened? Not okay!?" _Sabo had probably bombarded him with too many feelings of worry and fear but he had gotten hurt badly before and his soulmate had sent him just as much concern but he hadn't been as exhausted as his soulmate was.

He was scared during the five days his soulmate was up against Jimbi, and had sent for the closest Revolutionary to keep an eye on him but to not interfere on the first night. He was terrified for him when he suddenly felt Fire Fist brief panic at what was probably Whitebeard's arrival, and then his desperation suddenly turned to unbridled rage before he passed out. Sabo was glad that he was alone in the base's soundproofed office because the pained scream he let out when _A- _his soulmate had suddenly gone silent would have had even Dragon on edge. Knowing Dragon he would have refused to leave his side until he was sure Sabo would be properly attended to. Sabo wasn't sure how long it look for him to get his breathing under control but he hadn't been able to focus on work ever since and it seems like the entire base has taken notice of his strange behavior. Both Koala and Hack and been helping him more with his paperwork and Dragon has been taking him to watch the seas with him every night, just like he used to when Sabo was still recovering.

He hadn't been expecting an answer from _A-_ his soulmate when he called out to him, but he was pleasantly surprised to hear it. It was the same greeting he's always given him and his heart burns with longing and warmth because he knows that he knows them and he wants to see them again and he doesn't want to wait anymore.

"Sabo." Dragon calls out to him gently, and turns to see Dragon watching both him and the hotarubi that floats calmly around him nudging him East. "I want you to take a mission in Paradise."

"Huh?"

"I need you to go to Paradise for me," he repeats while gently wiping away some of Sabo's tears, _when did I…_ "go infiltrate the Moby Dick, and investigate the rumor of a traitor aboard."

"Traitor?"

"Yes, thanks to your soulmate stalking-"

"_O-oi!_" Sabo interrupted, _it wasn't stalking, just keeping himself updated on his soulmate's health! It's definitely normal!_

"We have confirmed that someone has been leaking information to the Marines from the Moby Dick and it's important that Whitebeard is informed of it. You will stay to see it that the traitor is taken care of." Dragon continued on like Sabo hadn't interrupted him. "After that-"

"After?"

"Yes, after that." Dragon nodded then, his gaze softened and he continued, "You will be taking a break, _however long you need_, getting to know your soulmate and perhaps later going back to Dawn Island to see if anything sparks anything, if not well there's no rushing these things."

"B-but-"

"Sabo." Dragon hugged him to his chest and spoke firmly, "I know that there are many answers that you seek that I can not give you. I may not be able to return your memories but I can give you the chance to rediscover them. You don't have to go anywhere near the Goa kingdom if you don't want to, but maybe fate has given you way home. Fire Fist Ace comes from the East Blue, it's possible that he can tell you who you were."

Dragon isn't usually the type for physical affections like this, normally the most he does is ruffle Sabo's hair with a smile, but Sabo craves it. Something in him tells him that he used to be able to be much more open and Dragon noticed it, like he notices everything, and he wants to give him the chance to find out why. Sabo always felt so conflicted about his memories, about family about home. He knows he always has namaka here with the Revolutionary Army, but to find home always felt different. He wants to know why he knew so much about navigation, why he feels so at ease in a forest, or who taught him how to swing a pipe, he wants to be able to answer all the small talk questions that Koala, and Hack can with the other Revolutionaries, and he wants to know if his name really is Sabo, why is his hat and goggles so special to him. _Is there anything about myself that I actually know true!? _He wants to know desperately, and he's so happy that Dragon, the man he respects as his only father figure, accepts that he needs this. So Sabo hug him back tightly and lets himself cry silently into Dragon's chest and mumbles out a string of thank you that he knows is heard by the deep rumble of Dragon's chuckle. So when _Ac-_ his soulmate suddenly asks to see him, _he wants to meet me,_ Sabo sends back a happy and overexcited reply of "_Soon, I'll see you soon. I'll be there soon…" _

_I'm so glad that I get to see you soon._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_**AN: Okay so I fixed a few minor things in chapter 1 but didn't change much. If you guys have any opinions or advice, please do share and review, I love hearing what you have to say, and appreciate it.**_ _

"Seriously Ace, that's the fifthteenth time you've been thrown overboard today," Thatch sighed and sat down next to Ace who was drenched and trying to catch his breath, "Seriously what's gotten into you? You've been wound up more than usual these last couple of weeks and haven't tried to steal food from the pantry once today!"

"It's none of your business…" Ace's breathing was back to normal but he was exhausted, but was too restless to sleep and too stressed out to eat.

"Lunch is over Ace, but I can still make you something," He gave Ace a slight nudge, concern growing when he didn't respond, "You can't skip lunch," another nudge.

"..." nothing.

"Come on I know you skipped breakfast, and after that many attacks your body needs to replenish energy. You need a good meal and some rest Ace, please no one is going to hurt you here, at least trust that." Ace has rejected him plenty of times before but Thatch wasn't going to let him this time. Ace had suddenly started pushing himself harder in his fights to defeat Whitebeard sometime last week, and it was clear that he's running on empty at this point.

"Everything alright yoi?" Marco came to stand by the wall opposite of the two of them, first-aid kit in hand.

"Marco, mind staying with the kid while I go make him some grub?"

"Sure yoi"

"Great, I'll be right back so don't you go hiding away like you usually do squirt!" Thatch said as he hurried off to the kitchens.

"..." Ace hadn't bothered to listen to anything the two were saying. Instead he was trying to focus on his thoughts on Whitebeard and his crew, he was still a bit angry at them for kidnapping him but was more frustrated with their insistence to make him one of them.

He didn't want another stupid father to deal with, his already gave him enough problems to deal with and he wasn't even around, the bastard outlook had stolen his brother away from them, and Luffy's dad hasn't been around but he's also the most wanted man in the world.

Ace isn't upset for Dragon not being around to raise Luffy, he can't be because he understands why, plus Dragon is working to take down the Tenryuubito and all the other bastard nobles of the world. He hopes that he can be there to watch those bastards burn like Gray Terminal.

"Mind if I check you over for infections yoi?" Ace probably wouldn't have noticed Marco if it hadn't been for the first-aid kit he shoved into his face.

"I can take care of myself." Ace grumbled with less of a bite than he wanted as he swiped the kit out of Marco's hands. He blames both his soulmate's happy mood that has been bubbling over through their shared link for the last few weeks and Marco for being a stupid level headed smart ass.

Ace knows that he has a soft spot for anyone who shares any qualities that Sabo possesses, his whole damn crew is an example of that, but he can't help it. Anything to keep his memory from fading away, _I don't want to forget his face, I don't want to lose him again, _because it's been his greatest fear since one of the bandits, heavily drunk, had remarked that he's "already forgotten what the brat looked like" and that he'd "wouldn't be surprised if ya both forget him eventually too." He, Dadan and Luffy all had beaten him up but it still bothered him that it was a possibility. So he did his best to engrave the memories of his best friend in his mind by never letting him go. He was secretly grateful that both he and Luffy didn't stop hallucinating him. He knew that it wasn't healthy but he'd rather have a ghost of their brother to keep him close than to forget the face of the very first person to ever care about him.

'_Of course I want you to live!' _Sabo was the very first to say that to him. '_You're my friend Ace!'_

Ace promised Sabo that he wouldn't ever let his own doubts get in the way of them living their lives with no regrets. He learned manners to thank Shanks, yes but mostly it was to teach Luffy what Sabo wasn't there to, and for the things he couldn't teach him he'd had Makino to help, _thankfully Sabo had given Makino his lesson plans for Luffy's writing and math skills, Ace had never been more thankful for Sabo's obsession with their brothers education and had admittedly almost burst into tears at the familiar handcrafted journal._ Ace also had read every one of Sabo's Journals with Luffy every night until he set sail and kept the drawings that Luffy drew of them with him when he left.

Sure people might say that it's not healthy to hang on to someone after they're gone, that it affects him too much but to fucking hell with them. He refuses all that letting them go bullshit the same way he refuses any crap anyone says about his tattoo. Disrespecting his tattoo was the same as insulting Sabo and Ace wouldn't let anyone get away with it.

So when this Blackbeard bastard showed up out of nowhere and laughed at Sabo's mark, to Ace that made him a deadman.

—

Marco didn't mind that Ace refused his help, he knew that the kid had been more frustrated in his fights with Oyaji for the last few weeks and probably needed to let off some steam. When he took the first-aid kit out of his hands and started cleaning his own wounds with a grumpy pout on his face, he just chuckled and leaned back to watch. After all looking after their soon-to-be youngest brother was a good excuse as any to hold off on doing the second division's paperwork, he usually didn't mind but even he needed a break every now and then.

Plus it gave him the chance to get a better look at Ace's tattoo, his shirt was ripped from where the splitters door he crashed into had cut his shoulder, but his tattoo had remained unharmed. Normally he'd credit Ace's devil fruit powers but Ace had been soaked for most of the day, it was how the wood had managed to cut his shoulder at all, and unlike the rest of him the tattoo had not one bruise or scratch anywhere near it. No. Anywhere near the crossed out "S" was unscathed.

_Huh… I wonder what that's about…_

He knew how important the meaning behind a tattoo could be but he's also never seen one be so heavily guarded before. As curious as he was though, he wasn't about to ask. If when Ace joined the crew later he still wanted it to be a secret then he'd let it go, but for now he'll have Thatch had over half of his bet winnings when he tells him so that he get buy Ace some new clothes. Deuce had admitted to him earlier that Ace only owned the one outfit and an extra pair of shorts.

"Marco!" Said man looked up to see Teach walking over with one hand holding a half eaten cherry pie and the other waving around the second division's monthly reports, Marco had asked Teach to give them to him yesterday, but before Marco could say anything Teach bursted out laughing.

"Zehahahahahah! Looks like you got one pulled over on ya good brat! I hope ya gave the guy who misspelled yer name a good bump for that embarrassment! Zehahahahah!"

The way Ace froze had filled Marco with dread, but it was the cold fury in Ace's eyes that had him activating his armament haki and as still as a cornered rabbit ready to sprint at any second. "What did you say you bastard." Ace's voice was calm but every word was laced with venom.

Being prepared for Ace to attack didn't help him much because the shock of feeling Ace's conqueror's haki had frozen him like a statue. Quite a few of his weaker crew mates were knocked out he could feel Oyaji and the other commanders were coming closer, probably expecting an enemy attack with the raw hostility vibrating off of Ace.

Teach, unprepared for the sudden assault of haki was knocked back a bit and Ace took the moment to charge at him with a brutal burrage of heavy blows that had the two crashing into some nearby crates.

"Oi Ace! What are you doing!" Thatch was the first one on deck but the rest of the commanders were quickly appearing from behind him. Snapping out of it Marco tried to get close enough to pull Ace away from Teach without hurting them but was forced back by one of Ace's hidaruma attacks and landed by Oyaji's feet.

"Oyaji wait!" But it was too late Oyaji had swung his haki coated fist at Ace who was too hurt to possibly dodge it.

"Ace!"

_*CLANG*_

—

Sabo had to admit that Koala's plan to travel by ship was probably for the best, he didn't have _A-_ his soulmate's expertise when it came to traveling by fire. Not for a lack of trying though, Dragon had managed to convince him that it was for the best that he hold off on learning his fire abilities. Plus, Sabo had to agree that it would cause _Ac- _his soulmate more trouble if they thought that the pirate was working with the Revolutionary Army, Sabo could be as subtle as an explosion on most missions, _but if it's not a stealth mission then is subtlety really necessary? _

_It's not fun without a game of chase or two, and some of them really do need the workout so really the marines should be thanking him. Plus with all the attention on him their jobs become so much easier and Koala and Hack can have all the time they need to free people and steal information. _

Sabo nodded to himself as he looked to his reflection ocean waves, Koala should be thanking him instead of yelling at him for causing a commotion. He couldn't help it if trouble wants to follow him, it just always seemed to turn out that way, and he didn't really mind it. The angry mobs that occasionally chased him were like a fun game of tag, pickpocketing nobles didn't hurt anyone and it always helped fund the Revolutionary's food supplies, it was hard to hold back from eating his fill and it would upset Dragon whenever he did hold back, and whenever he did get yelled at, usually by Koala because Dragon has never scolded Sabo not even once for as long as he's known him, there was a sort of lingering sense of dejavu.

It's not surprising to know that he got yelled at as a kid, he's always been a troublemaker he knew that much at least, but getting scolded always caused him conflicting emotions. He was happy because he'd always hear another voice yelling over Koala's, it wouldn't be for long nor was it often that he hear it but it was there. He knew it was even if he couldn't hold on to what they sounded like, the recognition faded away as fast as it appeared like he never heard it at all… It was like this with everything… His mind would recognize something and he would see or hear something else then the memory would fade away like it never existed. It broke Sabo's heart the most though when his mind would be cruel enough to give him a happy memory in the form of a dream. Those mornings were the worst because he would wake up without remembering the dream at all but stuck with the knowledge that it was important. He would wake up in tears, frustrated with how close, _so close, _he was to knowing only to have it ripped away from him. It was like offering a starving some meat only to toss it into the ocean.

Sabo was tired of it, but he had a job to do. He was the unofficial chief of staff after all, and he needed to be there to help take down the corrupt world government... or at least usually he was. Not today though, today he was going to going on vacation soon and Koala would cover for him while he was gone. Dragon said that he'll eventually have to deal with the paperwork, and that they would start sending them to him once they were sure that no Navy spies were aboard the Moby Dick, but for the most part it was a vacation.

Sabo would meet his soulmate, and if the very real possibility that he knew him, hopefully _Ac- _his soulmate wouldn't be mad at him for being gone for so long, hopefully he could explain things first, _or maybe Koala could- no! He owes it to them to explain it to them himself… He needed to… _Then they could possibly at least tell him his name…

Sabo was filled with nervous excitement, he had been restless for the last few weeks but now that they were so close he was starting to get nervous. He'd tried to least not let his nervousness show through their connection _Ac-_ his soulmate had been complaining that he was trying to be angry with the Whitebeard Pirates and Sabo's happiness had made it extremely hard to be mad.

The reminder that _Ac-_ his soulmate had sent back positive emotions in reaction to his own joy had calmed his nerves a bit and brought back the bubbling warmth that he'd been trying to control for the last few days, Koala had reached her limit with him earlier this week yelling at him that he was putting her on edge.

"_I get that you're excited but I'm too used to seeing that smile paired up with trouble so at least tone it down by the time we get there!" _She had told him this one week in, and looked ready to throw one of them overboard by the beginning of week three. Hopeful she'd throw Hack, Hack could swim. _Actually, it probably would be Hack, Dragon would scold her for throwing him overboard._

Dragon had lectured her plenty of times before when they were younger, less so now but then again Dragon was a bit more lenient towards Sabo so he probably couldn't be sure. Though it was weird, Koala says that Sabo's the only one Dragon "favors" so he wasn't allowed to complain, but Dragon doesn't favor anyone right? He can't because he's their leader, the only reason Sabo doesn't get lectures is because still completes their objectives whenever he gets sent out on missions and despite all the ruckus he makes, he doesn't get caught or recognized. He always steals the marine's cameras before they can even think about taking his picture so he sadly doesn't have a wanted poster.

He kinda wants one though, but Dragon says not yet so he has to wait before he can show himself to the world. He wonders how much it would be? How much is Dragon's bounty? He's never had the time to check before maybe Whitebeard knows?

_He feels pouty. _The closer he got to _Ac- _his soulmate, the more emotions he could feel, like he could almost feel his thoughts but there was something stuck. It wasn't _Ac-_ his soulmate blocking things from him, no, this felt more like his headaches or his scars itching. It was like his they took a more physical form in his head like he could almost reach out and grab him. He was vaguely aware of his soulmates troubling thoughts rumbling through their link like muffled static, but all he could do was curl into himself as his body heated up around him.

He was too busy focusing on controlling his flames to notice that they had caught up to the Moby Dick. He was too busy trying to catch his breath too notice that Koala and Hack were now on deck trying to talk to him.

_*Bum-Bum*_

But he instantly stilled at the pure rage Ace felt towards this unknown pirate, and stretched out his observation haki over the Moby Dick.

_Threat threat threat threat-_

_Ace is in trouble._

With that single thought echoing in his head pushing himself forward with the help of their flames Sabo had jumped on to the Moby Dick.

"Oyaji wait!"

Without hesitation Sabo dived forward to defend Ace's back with his haki covered seastone pipe.

_*CLANG*_

Ace gasped behind him and Sabo's already fuzzy head felt barely registered it along with Ace's arms circling around him as he lost his footing under the sheer force of Whitebeard's punch. They were both sent crashing into a wall and with a choked cry Sabo's world faded to black.

"SABO!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

AN: Sorry that these have taken so long, I'm trying to make the chapters a lot longer to make up for it. Also sorry if the last part of this chapter felt a little weak, I wasn't sure how far I wanted to stretch this out because I have a specific way that I wanted to start the next chapter.

Koala had been happy when her soulmark had first appeared on her skin because while she hadn't chosen for it to paint her skin like she had the Sun Pirates mark, it was nothing like the one that once was seared into her back. It had appeared warm like the sun's rays and as gentle as the cool sea breeze, accompanied by the soft touch of a confused teenage boy's callus freed hands, she would later learn that they were burned off in the explosion. To her it had been proof that she couldn't ever be called a slave, _slaves didn't have soulmates,_ to him she was another ally in the fight for freedom. She wasn't Sabo's soulmate but over time they became closer and became namaka. She had matured and began to open up to him more as the years went by, while Sabo had stayed relatively closed off from the rest of their comrades, always so focused on dedicating his life for their mission and pushing away everything else.

She couldn't blame him for it though, his amnesia had been causing him more problems than anyone could have predicted and many of his guarded habits were the results of his conflicting subconscious. The doctors had confirmed that it was most likely just a result of his body trying to heal himself by activating habits that made feel safe to relax him. Apparently his stupid brain was trying to gather more of the engry that was availible from Sabo by forcing him to conserve it by calming him down even further to avoid sending him into a coma. The risk of Sabo falling into a coma was only counter-acted by Sabo's own clashing wills.

From what she could understand, it was like Sabo had decided that regaining energy and allowing his body the time it needs to heal meant picking between eating and going to sleep. He couldn't do both at the same time, but that sure didn't mean he wouldn't try. So it had started to affect him in other areas like his slight narcolepsy. Normally they would be sparse attacks, only occurring when he's under extreme amounts of stress and low energy or situations where he felt relaxed and safest.

But because of his body trying to overcompensate, whenever his recognizes something that his past self associates with, he goes into a sort of trance where his mind tries to force a narcoleptic fit to attempt to fix itself while Sabo resists naturally because he's not wired to drop like a berri on the street, no his survival instincts would stop him from passing out leaving him in an odd daze.

It was especially worrisome when he would try to wander off on his own and suddenly stops and stares into nothing. She's tried to figure out what it is triggers it but no matter how hard she tries, she just can't find anything. His blank stare doesn't give her any clues and he doesn't remember anything standing out to him after. She could try to single objects out but that would mean letting his fits play out longer and she couldn't let that happen because it was too dangerous to mess with Sabo's psyche like that. So she did her best to stop him from getting distracted, and keep him safe from his own stupid head whenever she could.

Koala would do her best to support her friends, but that didn't mean she had to agree with them. She trusted Sabo, and while she didn't always agree with most of his crazy plans she was always the first to follow them making sure he had everything he needed ready for his next stupid stunt. But this time was a bit different, this time his plan involved letting him drift away, eyes glossed over as they approached the Moby Dick, this time she couldn't interfere to make sure that he was okay because whether she liked it or not, he needed this. Dragon had explained it to her and Hack that despite all the risks to his health, Sabo needed to do this and that they couldn't stop him no matter what. They were here to deliver Sabo to Fire Fist Ace, and if Sabo couldn't, then they would deliver the message to Newgate, warning him of the traitor onboard.

She was worried that they'd have to leave Sabo with Fire Fist while he was sick, and she didn't want to but judging by the heat she could feel from across the deck and the way he looked sweating and curled up, she could tell that he was starting to become feverish and would rather he not pass out into the ocean again.

_Dragon had yelled at her for dropping him into the ocean and sure she was angry with him at the time, but she hadn't meant to drop him, he had suddenly gone slack and she lost her grip on him. _

"Koala..." Hack motioned to the Moby Dick. They had arrived.

She was attempting to get close enough to tell Sabo as much when he suddenly stilled, and a wave of conquers haki suddenly pulsed from him. The sudden assault had managed to catch both of them off guard enough to knock them to the ground.

_That's not Sabo's haki. _The realization had her whipping her head to Hack who was just as shocked as she felt, and then to the Moby Dick where a sudden crashing sound had occurred. _Shit. _She looked to Sabo and as she tried to get up and stilled at the look of pure terror in his eyes, and when he burst into flames and jumped she sprinted after him.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Fucking damn it! _

She had to catapult herself onto the deck from using one of cannon doors like a spring board but only managed to get herself on in time to watch her chief get thrown into the wall by the world's strongest man alive. She's thankful for Fire Fist cushioning Sabo, otherwise she wouldn't be able to think right now, and she needed to figure out how to defuse this situation and fast.

"SABO!" Ace's pained cry snapped her into action.

"_We don't exchange words when we talk, it's more like feelings,"_

She was in front of them in seconds.

"_I don't know his name because all I know is that he's him, I know when he's talking about my feelings because I get the impression of me that's sent back"_

She spread her arms out to shield them as Newgate and his crew approached.

"_It's not that we haven't tried to send each other our names, but all we can get is the feeling of 'he's him, I know him, other half' and things like that it would be impossible for him to know my name unless…"_

"Stop it!" She glared at Newgate even under the pressure of his haki, it made her knees feel weak but she refused to back down. Newgate seemed surprised by her and eased up his haki to stand up straight and stared her down. When she was sure that he wasn't going to attack she chanced a look back at the two she was protecting.

"_He wouldn't know unless he knew who I was before the incident."_

Ace knew Sabo, the way he protectively curled around him with Sabo's head tucked under his chin, placing Sabo's coat and hat in his lap and so that he could unbutton the first few buttons of Sabo's vest and shirt, he had completely forgotten everything else. Ace's sole attention was on helping Sabo through his fever, making sure to get his breathing under control. She didn't know what he was mumbling but from the way Sabo's breathing evened out as he gently rocked him, she let it go for now. After all there was important business for her to take care of.

"We're not your enemies Newgate." She stared up at him defiantly and continued "We come to deliver to you important information on behalf of our leader."

"What leader is that brat." Newgate glanced back to Ace but didn't seem as angry as he was before, apparently the sight of him and Sabo had calmed him down significantly. She didn't know what their fight was about but she was glad to know they were spared for now at least, that didn't mean that she would let her guard down.

Hack had just heaved himself aboard the ship with a first-aid kit and was walking over Ace and Sabo. She was glad that he'd thought to bring it but she was more elated to see him move to help guard them and let Ace handle Sabo.

"Dragon." She answered Newgate and while most of his crew seemed confused, he narrowed his eyes before turning to address his crew.

"Hakuto. Have someone help you carry Teach to the infirmary. I want all commanders to stay on deck, the rest of you head down and clean up the lower levels… it would seem that we have guest."

Once the pirates had cleared out, she checked for any eavesdroppers with her observation Haki, _it's not as good as Sabo's but it would have to do, _she nodded to Hack and they each took a position to Ace and Sabo's side. She stood to Ace's right protectively in front with her arms behind her back, while Hack stayed a bit behind them with Sabo's pipe in hand and arms crossed.

Unofficial as it may be for now, Sabo was still their chief of staff, and his safety, _and by extension Ace's, _would be their top priority. And since Sabo would be staying here with Ace, under Newgate's care. She didn't like that she would have to leave like this, with him unconscious and a navy spy_, or spies,_ wandering around close enough to strike him down and probably chain him up for the marines to- _No! No… now was not the time to be thinking about how vulnerable their chief currently was. _

"What businesses could the revolutionary army possibly have with pirates girl."

Koala didn't answer him. Mainly because she needed to stay professional, and she needed something to help distract her from the fact that this man could have serious worsened Sabo's fragile condition. She felt the force of that hit, her glare intensified as she clenched her fists tighter trying to stay calm but she couldn't help but think back to just a few moments ago. _If Ace hadn't cushioned him…_

"What about the Revolutionary army?" Ace's voice snapped her out of her darker thoughts and she looked to him. He was still cradling Sabo but was looking around them confused. She was also pleased to notice that the air around Sabo was no longer like a blistering desert heat wave, but instead more like a warm breeze.

"...Actually come to think about it… Who are you two?"

She wouldn't be able to answer Newgate professionally but she could with Ace.

"We are Revolutionaries trusted with the task of escorting our chief"

Ace hasn't been in the best condition these last few weeks, the lack of sleep, stress and confusion that came from residing on the Moby Dick had begun to really take its toll on him. So when he was nearing his limit while fighting the black bearded bastard and the Whitebeard captain had decided to charge at him Ace was sure that he was done for. But then Sabo showed up to block the attack and slowed the hit down enough that Ace got off easy with a dark bruise decorating his back from when he caught Sabo. _Thank everything that growing up with idiot brothers make it so catching them is a reflex._

When his little brother passed out it freaked him out, he screamed and was about to try to wake him up when he noticed how much heat Sabo was giving off. Sabo's breathing was labored and he was sweating heavily. So Ace removed his coat and opened up his shirt a bit while gently and quietly encouraging his brother to breathe.

"It's okay Bo, I gotcha. Just breathe, calm down and breathe in and out like how you taught Luffy. You remember that don't you? Yeah just like that keep it up and just relax. I'm here, I can keep an eye on things so just go to sleep and I'll be here when you wake up."

Ace was happy to see Sabo falling into a peaceful sleep and to know that he was able to influence their shared flames enough that they wouldn't hurt Sabo by accident. He couldn't remember the exact details but he knew that overheating was bad for Sabo even if he shared Ace's powers, but luckily the first aid kit had supplies for handling a fever. Though now that he thought about it, where did the kit come from, the one Marco gave him only had things for scrapes and bruises so it couldn't be that one and now that Sabo was safely tucked into his arms, he looked around the now mostly empty deck.

"What businesses could the revolutionary army possibly have with pirates girl."

The commanders were all lined up to either side of Whitebeard across the deck. Ace then noticed that there was a fishman holding Sabo's pipe and a redhead girl next to him. They both looked like they were standing guard, were they Sabo's friends? _Wait... did he say revolutionary army?_

"What about the Revolutionary army?" Suddenly everyone's attention was on him and Sabo. He pulled his brother closer to himself, and looked around warily, before addressing Sabo's probably friends "...Actually come to think about it… Who are you two?"

"We are Revolutionaries trusted with the task of escorting our chief" The girl announced proudly and was she slightly bowing to him? _What the fu-_ _**Wait**_… _she said "chief" didn't she?... The fishman and her are guards...so that would mean that their "chief" is-_

"So the guy Oyaji knocked out is your boss yoi?" _Oh fuck no!_

"Looks like it, what do you think Oyaji, you hitting such an important sounding guy doesn't seem like a great first impression." _Fucking bastards are talking about them like they aren't even here!_

"Hmmm… Sorry, my bad." _You-_

"You punched my sick little brother and all you bastards have to say for yer selves is 'my bad!?'" Ace seethed.

"Eh?...Eh!?" At the collective echo from both pirate and revolutionary guards Sabo had begun fidgeting in his sleep so Ace calmed down combed his hands through Sabo's hair and shushed him to ease him back into his deep slumber.

"Your younger brother!? You have a younger brother and he's a revolutionary big shot!"

"Wasn't the kid on fire too when he showed up? Does that mean that they both have the power of the Mera Mera no Mi?"

"How is that possible!?"

"Soulmates yoi? Soulmate links tend to manifest in strange ways yoi."

"Your little brother is your soulmate!?"

_If they wake Sabo I'll burn every single one of them to ashes. _Of course Sabo had decided to cuddle further into his chest when he was trying to be mad at the Whitebeard pirates. _Why are little brothers adorable… _Ace was struggling to stay awake now, he was already drained before but now he was on the verge of a narcoleptic fit.

"Enough. We can discuss this more later, but first, you said that you had business with us girl." He was glad that the old man's voice was still a bit aggressive right now keeping him on edge or he would have passed out because his normal voice reminds him too much of Jiji.

"Business?" Ace gave the female revolutionary a questioning look, he was tired but he still needed to know what they were talking about.

"Yes. We have an important message to deliver as it concerns your safety on this ship." She stated, _please don't say sir, ye sound like ye wanna say sir-Wait… what?_

"My safety?" _Did they know about-_

"Yes. We have recently intercepted a message hat a Whitebeard pirate was sharing intel with a marine officer." _Did that mean that there's a spy for jiji on board or…_

"So what if they were talking to the navy, Oyaji drinks with one all the time." He doesn't know who said that but it gave him a weird feeling that he should probably remember that, he's not sure why though, maybe Sabo could figure it out.

"The message was sent directly to Akainu." _Oh … that's bad…_ Akainu hates pirates.

"You're lying!" The green blur, _Haru-something jeez this is not a good time to pass out_.

"They're not." Ace May not know the details but Sabo wouldn't come here out of nowhere to lie about a traitor because that's what they found. _Plus if they're just here to 'escort' Sabo then that means Sabo was supposed to say all this stuff._

"Sabo wouldn't lie about this. So just trust his namaka's word for now, you owe him that much." _Don't think that I forgot about you punching him in the face you blurry stupid white banana bastard. _Ace was very close to passing out but he needed to make sure that they took Sabo's warning seriously because a traitor on board meant that Sabo wouldn't be safe here, they needed to leave. He was about to tell them as much when he started seeing dark spots, _crap…_

_Well at least I have Sabo here, he owes me an explanation in the morning._ And with that lovely thought Ace passed out curled protectively around his little brother.

—

Thatch was mentally cooing over how cute their (hopefully) youngest brother and his blonde twin were sleeping. Sabo, (if he heard Ace's scream right), was cuddling into his big brother's shoulder from what he could see and Ace was hugging him like a kid with a teddy bear. He's not sure what to think about this traitor thing the revolutionaries brought up but he wouldn't write it off just yet.

"Well looks like these two are all tuckered out. Let's put all this serious talk on pause until after the kiddos are treated and tucked in" he tries to lighten the mood as he ruffles Haruta's hair as he walks by.

"How can you be so calm about this! After what they've accused one of our brothers of-" He cuts Haruta off there.

"I know, but if we reject them we reject Ace too." He didn't need to look back to know how they all felt about that, because even though Ace has been adamant about hating them didn't mean that they were. Over the last few weeks Ace has charmed his way into most if not all of the commanders' hearts one way or another. So he continued on "Ace says it's true, so we should at least give them some consideration."

"But.." Izo, Jozu and Fossa all looked ready to argue.

"But nothing. We'll leave the matter for now and wait until their 'chief' wakes up to discuss this matter further and stay on alert. It's all we can do for now."

"Oyaji…"

Thatch could see Oyaji looking at Sabo with a familiar glimmer of interest, the boy hadn't really done anything yet but he had to be something special for him to be so close to Ace. He looked to Sabo's companions who shifted closer to the sleeping duo. The girl was holding the pipe while the man was moving to try to pick up the pair.

"Need some help with that yoi?" Marco asked as he walked closer.

"Marco can take them to Ace's room for you and I'll bring dinner there." Luckily the girl, _we really need to get introductions out of the way soon,_ seem to at least be willing to accept their help, as she nodded towards Marco and grabbed the tophat and coat from Sabo's lap. The fact that both were too out to notice had him a bit worried.

"I would like to bring some medical supplies to the room as well..." He was glancing towards Ace and the girl seemed a bit nervous.

"Ouch...Oyaji really did a number on ya this time huh shorty?" Ace's back had a large bruise and a couple of fading scratches from where he collided with the wall, it wasn't too bad but it was the most that he's seen on the kid so far. He looked back at the girl, and winked at her "Don't worry, it just looks worse than it actually is, but if it makes you feel any better Marco will come by with something to patch him up after we get them settled in."

"I'll bring some rags too and a bowl of water for his fever too yoi. I'm worried that it might get worse if he's put under too much stress so try to keep him relaxed yoi." Marco had both boys in his arms as he was carrying them down the hall.

"I'll bring them some soup too then, does he have any preferences?" The girl looked a little put out by them but she seemed to be doing okay, her friend looked a bit confused though, probably not used to pirates then.

"Do you know how to make ramen?"


End file.
